Wire twisting device



Jan. 7, 1969 A. A. ALLYN 3,

WIRE TWI STING DEVICE Filed June 4, 1965 INVENTOR ANDERSON A. ALLm ATTORN s United States Patent Office 3,420,280 Patented Jan. 7, 1969 21 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A wire twisting device on which is mounted an elongated tube having a spirally grooved spindle therein for effecting rotational movement of said tube and wire twisting device during axial movement of said spindle.

This invention relates generally, as indicated, to a wire twisting device and, more particularly, to a device which is especially suitable for twisting wires and the like in places of minimum accessibility.

In many industrial uses, it is desirable securely to interconnect various items of an assembly such as nuts on stud bolts, valve caps, etc. with wire or the like as to preclude accidental loosening or even dropping off of such items during use. The caps for flow control valves used in fuel lines, steam pressure lines, and hydraulic systems, for example, are frequently interconnected by wire which is reeved about the caps and twisted to avoid loosening and unseating of the valves during operation. Similarly, nuts such as are .found in the engine bases of airplanes as well as in rockets and missiles are often securely interconnected to avoid loosening. The application of the interconnecting wires can be extremely time consuming and difiicult, however, especially when the items which are to be thus interconnected are in places of limited accessibility It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a device which is especially suited for easy gripping and twisting of wires in rather confined areas.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a device which will securely and permanently twist and join the loose ends of Wires together.

Yet another object is to provide such a device which is practical for use in places of limited accessibility with a minimum of difficulty.

Other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent after a reading of the following more detailed description.

These and other objects are achieved by means of a novel mechanism for pulling and twisting a wire gripping means, such as a conventional pliers or the like. The pulling and twisting mechanism comprises means for interengaging the handles of the pliers to secure them together, a stationary tube positioned between the handles, and a unique hexball cage and spindle arrangement within the tube for rotating the pliers, as will be more completely described hereinafter.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed draw ing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the preferred form of wire twisting device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the pull mechanism of such device taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the hexball cage as seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section of the hexball cage taken on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of the pull mechanism taken on line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 3, but showing another form of hexball cage;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side elevation of the cage of FIG. 6 without the balls; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view similar to FIGS. 3 and 6, but showing still another form of hexball cage.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, the preferred form of wire twisting device of the present invention is generally indicated by the numeral 1 and includes a pulling and twisting mechanism 2 to which there is secured a wire gripping means 3, which in this case is a pliers. However, it should be understood that any suitable means for gripping the wires could be used, such as a spring clip or vice clamp, for example.

The pliers shown is of conventional type, including a pliers head 4 with the usual opposed knurled jaws 5 and 6 between which a pair of Wires W may be positioned and gripped. The jaws 5 and 6 also have the standard mating cutting edges and transverse opening therebetween, and are supported by the usual handles 7 and 8 which are cross-pivoted as at 9. Rigidly mounted on one of the handles 7 is the pulling and twisting mechanism 2, the details of which are best illustrated in FIGS. 2-4.

More particularly, the pulling and twisting mechanism 2 includes an elongated tube 10 positioned between the handles 7 and 8 of the pliers 3 and mounted on the handle 7 in substantially parallel relation to its longitudinal axis as by means of a channel-shaped member 11. The end of the tube 10 which is adjacent the pliers head 4 is closed preferably by a plastic cap 12 tightly fitted thereon. Within the tube 10 there is disposed a spirally grooved spindle 13 and a hexball cage 14 fixedly positioned at the end of the tube opposite or away from the pliers head. In the preferred form, the hexball cage 14 comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced hex nuts 15 and 16 confined within a similarly hexagonally shaped jeXpanded portion 17 of the tube 10. As clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hex nuts 15 and 16 have central apertures 18 therethrough for passage of the spindle 13, and the opposed faces 19 and 20 of the hex nuts 15 and 16, respectively, are somewhat concave from their outer peripheries to the edges of the apertures 18 to provide seats for balls 21 positioned therebetween.

As evident, the spacing between the hex nuts 15 and 16 is just suflicient to receive the balls 21. Moreover, as clearly shown in FIG. 4, there is a ball 21 located at each of the corners 22 of the hex nuts which provide pockets for the balls, and the diameter of the balls is sufiicient such that they extend radially outwardly beyond the sides 23 of the hex nuts 15 and 16 into engagement with the inner surfaces of the two sides 24 of the expanded portion 17 of the tube 10 adjacent the corners 25, for a purpose which will :be fully described hereafter. Also, the balls 21 extend radially inwardly of the edges of the apertures 18 in the hex nuts and engage the spiral groove 26 in the spindle 13. A.

While it is desirable that the hex nuts 15 and 16 have opposed concave faces 19 and 20, respectively, for receipt of the balls 21 as aforesaid, it should be understood that such opposed faces could also be fiat and the balls would still be held in position by the sides 24 of the ex- 3 panded portion 17 and the spindle 13. However, in that case the balls 21 would not be as well supported, and the spacing between the nuts and 16 would have to be increased. Further, the hex nuts 15 and 16 could be formed as an integral nut, as shown at in FIGS. 68, with a plurality of apertures or sockets 31 extending radially through the corners 32 for receipt of the balls 21.

In still another embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the nuts are eliminated altogether, and the balls 21 are disposed in circumferentially spaced recesses or pockets 35 formed by bulging the tube 10 radially outwardly, and retained in such recesses by the spindle 13.

In all of the forms shown, the balls 21 ride in the spiral groove 26 of the spindle 13 and are in direct driving contact with the tube 10, either by engagement with the sides of the expanded portion 17 of the tube, or by engagement with the pockets 35 formed in the tube, whereby when the cages are caused to rotate, the wire gripping means 3 also rotates.

The spindle 13 may desirably be formed by twisting a hex shaped rod with flat sides until the flat sides become curved concavely and the spiral groove 26 is thus pro-- vided. Surrounding the spindle 13 within the tube 10 is a resilient spring 36, one end of which is seated on an end piece 37 carried by the inner end 38 of the spindle 13, and the other end of which engages the ball cage, or a shoulder 3? provided in the tube immediately forward of the cage (see FIG. 9). In addition to providing a seat for the spring 36, the end piece 37 also acts as-a guide for the spindle as it is pulled out of the tube 10 in a manner which will presently be described, and prevents the spindle from being pulled completely out of the tube. A knob or other handle means 40 for pulling the spindle 13 is suitably attached to the outer end 41 of the spindle.

Referring now in greater detail to the mounting of the pulling and twisting mechanism 2, it comprises the channel-shaped member 11 as aforesaid which is preferably brazed to the tube 10, it being slightly curved as at 41 to fit tightly on the exterior configuration of the tube to facilitate attachment thereto and prevent slippage of the tube when the knob 40 is pulled. The channel-shaped member 11 is in turn attached to the handle 7 by rivets 45 extending through a lateral projection 46.

The member 11 has a pair of aligned openings 47 there through in which there is positioned a locking button 48 which is adapted to engage the other handle 8 through an opening 49 in a laterally inwardly extending portion 50 to secure the handles together. Also, a resilient spring 51 surrounds the locking button 48 for urging the button out of the aperture 49 when the handles 7 and 8 are squeezed together to bring the aperture 49 in direct axial alignment with the button 48.

Operation The wire twisting device 1 of the present invention operates as follows. First a pair of wires or the like W are gripped securely by the wire gripping means 3. When the wire gripping means is a pliers as shown in FIG. 1, the wires are gripped securely between the jaws 3 and 4 by squeezing the handles 7 and 8 toward each other until the aperture 49 is in axial alignment with the locking button 48, after which the locking button is forced downwardly through the opening 49 and the handles are released. The tendency of the handles to move slightly apart causes suflicient frictional contact between the wall of the aperture 49 and the locking button 48 to hold the button in place. Next, the knob 40 is gripped by the operator and the handles 7 and 8 are released. Then the knob 40 is pulled, causing relative axial movement between the spindle 13 and hexball cage 14 and also relative rotation therebetween. Moreover, since the balls 21 are in positive driving engagement with the sides 24 of the expanded portion 17 of the tube 10, the tube 10 is caused to rotate with the cage, thereby rotating the pliers 3 and twisting the wire. After the spindle 13 has been pulled to its maximum extent, the handles 7 and 8 are grasped to prevent rotation of the pliers and the spindle is released, whereby it will automatically return to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 due to the action of the resilient spring 36. The desired degree of twisting may thus be imparted to the wires simply by repeatedly releasing the handles and pulling the spindle.

After sufiicient twisting has been achieved, the handles 7 and 8 are squeezed together slightly to disengage the walls of the opening 49 from the locking button 48, and thereby permitting the spring 51 to retract the locking button. The handles may then be readily separated and the wires removed from the gripping jaws, and the ends of the wires may be cut by the cutting edges of the pliers in the usual manner if necessary.

From the above discussion, it should now readily be apparent that the wire twisting device 1 of the present invention is quite effective in twisting wires and the like in a very simple and expeditious manner, and is especially useful in places of limited accessibility where the twisting operation would otherwise be a very difiicult task.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the de tails described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

1, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A wire twisting device comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube, comprising a pair of axially spaced nuts disposed in said tube and having central apertures therethrough for passage of said spindle, means mounting said nuts in said tube against axial movement away from each other, said nuts being spaced apart a distance sufficient to receive said balls therebetween, said tube being formed in the shape of a polygon radially outwardly of said balls with the corners of said polygon directly adjacent said balls and said balls engaging two sides of said polygon which form said corners to establish positive rotational driving contact between said balls and tube; and means mounted on said tube for gripping a pair of wires and the like, whereby rotation of said tube causes rotation of said wire gripping means and twisting of the wires.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said nuts are also in the shape of a regular polygon similar to the polygonal shape of said tube, and the cornersof said nuts are in radial alignment with the corners of said polygon, said balls being located at the corners of said nuts.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the opposed faces of said nuts are concave from their outer peripheries to the edges of their respective central apertures to provide seats for said balls positioned therebetween.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising spring means disposed in said tube and surrounding said spindle yieldably holding said spindle within said tube, said spindle having an end piece secured thereto against which one end of said spring is seated, and means in said tube for holding the other end of said spring means against axial outward movement with respect to said tube.

5. A wire twisting device comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube, comprising a nut disposed in said tube and having a central aperture therethrough for passage of said spindle, means mounting said nut in said tube against axial movement therein, said nut having a plurality of radial sockets therethrough for receipt of said balls, said tube being in the shape of a polygon radially outwardly of said balls with the corners of said polygon being directly adjacent said balls and said balls engaging two sides of said polygon which form said corners to establish positive rotational driving contact between said balls and tube.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said nut is also in the shape of a regular polygon having the same number of sides as the polygon of said tube, and the corners of said nut are in radial alignment with the corners of said tube, and said sockets extend radially through said corners of said nut.

7. A wire twisting device comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; said tube having a thin wall in the region of said balls; means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube including a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets formed directly in an expanded portion of said thin tube wall, said balls projecting into said pockets and held there in by said spindle; and means mounted on said tube for gripping a pair of wires and the like, whereby rotation of said tube causes rotation of said wire gripping means and twisting of the wires.

8. A device for twisting wires and the like together comprising in combination, means for gripping the wires; and means for causing rotation of said wire gripping means; said wire gripping means comprising a plies having a pair of gripping jaws and a pair of cross-pivoted handle means for opening and closing said jaws; and said means for causing rotation of said wire gripping means comprising an elongated tube, a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube, a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle, means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith, whereby axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube causes rotational movement of said tube through said balls; a substantially channel-shaped member fixed to said tube and secured to one of said plier handles whereby rotation of said tube also causes rotation of said pliers; a locking button; said channel-shaped member projecting beyond said tube and having aligned apertures in which said locking button is axially movable; the other of said plier handles having a laterally inwardly extending portion with an opening therein which is adapted to be brought into alignment with the aligned apertures in said channel-shaped member when said handles are moved toward each other'to permit axial movement of said locking button into said opening while still in said apertures for releasably holding said jaws together.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprising a spring means disposed about said locking button operative yieldably to urge said locking button out of said opening in said laterally extending portion.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein said means mount ing said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly bulged regions which provide pockets for said balls.

11. A wire pulling and twisting mechanism comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; and means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube, comprising a pair of axially spaced nuts disposed in said tube and having central apertures therethrough for passage of said spindle, means mounting said nuts in said tube against axial movement away from each other, said nuts being spaced apart a distance sufficient to received said balls therebetween, said tube being in the shape of a polygon radially outwardly said balls with the corners of said polygon being directly adjacent said balls and said balls engaging two sides of said polygon which form said corners to establish positive rotational driving contact between said balls and tube.

12. The mechanism of claim 11 wherein said nuts are also in the shape of a regular polygon having the same number of sides as the polygon of said tube, and the corners of said nuts are in radial alignment with the corners of said tube polygon with said balls being located at said corners of said nut.

13. A wire pulling and twisting mechanism comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; and means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube, comprising a nut disposed in said tube and having a central aperture therethrough for passage of said spindle, means mounting said nut in said tube against relative axial movement therein, said nut having a plurality of radial sockets therein for receipt of said balls, said tube being in the shape of a polygon radially outwardly of said balls with the corners of said polygon being directly adjacent said balls and said balls engaging two sides of said polygon which form said corners to establish positive rotational driving contact between said balls and tube.

14. A wire pulling and twisting mechanism comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; said tube having a thin wall in the region of said balls; and means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube, including a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets formed directly in said thin tube wall, said balls projecting into an expanded portion of said pockets and held therein by said spindle.

15. A wire twisting device comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; mounting means for mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube, said mounting means including a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets formed directly in an expanded portion of the wall of said tube itself in which said balls are received to establish positive rotational driving contact between said balls and tube.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein said tube has a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly bulged regions which provide said pockets.

17. The device of claim 15 further comprising a pliers having a pair of gripping jaws and a pair of cross-pivoted handle means for opening and closing said jaw; a substantially channel-shaped member fixed to said tube and secured to one of said plier handles whereby rotation of said tube also causes rotation of said pliers; a locking button; said channel-shaped member projecting beyond said tube and having aligned apertures in which said locking button is axially movable; the other of said plier handles having a laterally inwardly extending portion with an opening therein which is adapted to be brought into alignment with the aligned apertures in said channelshaped member when said handles are moved toward each other to permit axial movement of said locking button into said opening while still in said apertures for releasably holding said jaws together.

18. A wire twisting device comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube, comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets in the wall of said tube in which said balls are received to establish positive rotational driving contact between said balls and tube, said tube being in the shape of a polygon radially outwardly of said balls, the corners of said polygon providing said pockets, and said balls engaging two sides of said polygon which form said corners to establish such positive rotational driving contact between said balls and tube.

19. A wire twisting device comprising an elongated tube; a spirally grooved spindle slidably received in said tube; a plurality of balls disposed in said tube and riding in the spiral groove in said spindle; means mounting said balls in said tube against axial movement therein and in direct driving engagement therewith for effecting rotational movement of said tube through said balls during axial movement of said spindle with respect to said tube,

8 comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced pockets in the wall of said tube in which said balls are received to establish positive rotational driving contact between said balls and tube, a nut disposed in said tube and having a central aperture therethrough for passage of said spindle, and means mounting said nut in said tube against axial movement therein, said nut having seat means for engagement by said balls.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein said seat means comprises a plurality of radial sockets in said nut for receipt of said balls.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein there are a pair of said nuts axially spaced in said tube, and means are provided for mounting said nuts in said tube against axial movement away from each other, said nuts being spaced apart a distance sufiicient to receive said balls therebetween, said seat means being provided on the adjacent ends of said nuts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,898,789 8/1959 Meese 81-331 XR CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

E. M. COMBS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

